Getting the Hump: Camels in Human Care Are Domesticated

Picture courtesy: http://www.peppermintnarwhal.com/

Getting the Hump: Camels in Human Care Are Domesticated

Despite the fact that it is not supported by bona fide empirical scientific research, the British government passed a law banning wild animals in circuses, effective from 20 January 2020. The law does not cover domestic animals, but what is intriguing is how the British government defines “domesticated.”

According to this Act, a “wild animal” is defined as:

“an animal of a kind which is not commonly domesticated in Great Britain.”

This is an interesting turn of phrase, as it excludes some animals that are truly domesticated globally from being displayed in British circuses. A case in point is the camel.

Camels belong to a group of animals known as camelids, which also includes the guanaco and its domestic counterpart, the llama, as well as the vicuña and its domesticated counterpart, the alpaca. There are three living species of camel: the Arabian or Dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus), and the wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus).

The Dromedary camel is a familiar sight in many Middle Eastern countries. This animal is truly domesticated, with its wild counterparts having died out around 2,000 years ago. Consequently, there are no wild Dromedary camels anywhere in the world.

It is sometimes claimed that there are wild Dromedary camels living in Australia. This is incorrect. These animals were imported to Australia in the 19th century as working animals. The groups now living in the Australian outback are domestic animals that have become feral.

The wild Bactrian camel is a critically endangered species found in parts of northern China and southern Mongolia. It is distantly related to the domestic Bactrian camel. Although both have the characteristic double hump, they are distinct species that diverged from each other roughly 700,000 years ago. Furthermore, there are no wild Bactrian camels (Camelus ferus) currently in human care.Estimated global camel populations (approx.)

Bar chart comparing estimated global populations: Dromedary about 39 million, Domestic Bactrian about 2 million, and Wild Bactrian about 950 individuals. 0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M Dromedary Domestic Bactrian Wild Bactrian Data approximate; scaled to 50 million maximum (FAO and species estimates).

Estimated populations: Dromedary camel around 39 million; Domestic Bactrian about 2 million; and Wild Bactrian fewer than 1,000 individuals. Figures derived from FAO and species conservation reports. 

 Estimated global camel populations (approx.)

Bar chart comparing estimated global populations: Dromedary about 39 million, Domestic Bactrian about 2 million, and Wild Bactrian about 950 individuals. 0 10M 20M 30M 40M 50M Dromedary Domestic Bactrian Wild Bactrian Data approximate; scaled to 50 million maximum (FAO and species estimates).

Estimated populations: Dromedary camel around 39 million; Domestic Bactrian about 2 million; and Wild Bactrian fewer than 1,000 individuals. Figures derived from FAO and species conservation reports.

Governmental Double Standard

In 2018, the government introduced The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations. This legislation mandated the inspection and licensing of animals presented to the public that were not already covered by other legislation, such as the Zoo Licensing Act or the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012. It covers domestic animals presented in circuses.

The British government (or at least its advisers at DEFRA) appear to have a rather peculiar idea of what actually constitutes a domestic animal. It almost seems as though the criteria in the bill were written in a vexatious manner, targeting circuses specifically while excluding other animal enterprises that display animals to the public.

As a result, we now have a situation where licensed animal enterprises with camels can display them at public events—except in a circus ring, even if the animals travel to different venues. One can’t help but feel that the ban on animals in circuses is discriminatory against a particular sector of society and panders to the animal rights lobby, rather than being a genuine effort to ensure high standards of animal welfare.

 

A pair of Bactrian camels grazing in a field.
Picture courtesy: Circus Mondao, taken July 31, 2019